Happify – Activities and Games for Stress and Anxiety
Happify’s games and activities – developed by some of the most lauded experts and scientists specializing in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy – focus on weeding out destructive negative thoughts to rid your life of toxic stress, anxiety, and depression. According to the developers, 86% of people who regularly put the mind-healing powers of Happify into use begin to have a more positive outlook on life after approximately two months.
Headspace: Guided Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is an ancient practice with its roots reaching back in time to as far as thousands of years. The benefits of meditation are manifold: stress and anxiety relief, blooming creativity, laser-sharp focus, increased energy level, enhanced mind-body connection, more patience and tolerance, and better sleep, just to name a few. Headspace: Guide Meditation and Mindfulness is a guided meditation app requiring subscription, but its basic program consisting of ten 10-minute meditation exercises called “Take10” is free-of-charge, allowing you to get a taste of a more mindful way of existence you can reach through regular meditation. The app also features a personalized progress page, rewards for regularly using the app, reminders so that you’ll never miss out on your daily dose of peace of mind, and a so-called “Buddy System” for you and your friends to keep each other motivated.
Calm: Meditation Techniques for Stress Reduction
Brought to you by Calm.com, Calm: Meditation Techniques for Stress Reduction is a simple-yet-ingenious app boasting a minimalist design that is easy on the eyes and the mind, thus putting the emphasis on the app’s stress-reducing features. Calm focuses on two main areas – stress reduction through various methods of meditation and better sleep – in three meditation plans: various lengths of guided meditation programs during which you can track your progress (‘7 Days of Calm’, ’21 Days of Calm’, ‘7 Days of Sleep’), unguided meditation sessions, and 25 guided meditation sessions lasting from only a few minutes to up to 20 minutes to help you relax on the go before a job interview or post-workout after a stressful day. Getting access to Calm’s premium features requires a subscription, but since you are dealing with your mental health, rest assured that it is money well spent.
